The artwork titled “Head of a Walrus” was created by the artist Albrecht Dürer in 1521. This pen drawing is one of the notable works from the Northern Renaissance movement, specifically categorized under animal painting. It is part of the collection of the British Museum in London, UK.
Depicted in this drawing is the detailed and textured head of a walrus, with emphasis on its distinctive features such as the large tusks, whiskers, and the bristly texture of its skin. Dürer has meticulously rendered the creature’s coarse fur and the round, expressive eye, giving life to the walrus, which seems both intense and calmly pensive. His studied approach to representing the walrus showcases his remarkable skill in naturalism, a characteristic of Northern Renaissance artists. There’s also handwritten text and numbers on the artwork, likely pertaining to the walrus’s dimensions or notes from the artist himself. Dürer’s monogram “AD” is seen near the center of the drawing, attributing the work unmistakably to him.
